Shard of Emerelys
by Manda-chan
Summary: AU SS ET. Sakura was a lonely, fantasy-loving bookworm who made a fateful wish. When it unexpectedly comes true, she finds herself stranded in a world of fairies, wolf men, dark sorcerers, elves, goblins, dragons...and her own fantastic destiny.


Heyla, Minna-san! I know by now that no one remembers me, as far as I can tell. Can't blame you, though. I've been dead from writing fanfiction for CCS for nearly four years. I need to start anew.

I'm going to try another story idea and see if it hits off any better than my other recent try did. I've been putting **A LOT **of thought into this story idea now for quite some time. Plot ideas, maps, character backgrounds, and lots of little hidden goodies. I think I finally have the story fully planned out, so it's time to give this idea a shot.

I've never really done an AU fic before, but please don't judge me based on that. Clow and his cards do not exist in this story, but the guardians will (as other characters). It will have the coupling of Sakura and Syaoran within it, as nearly all my CCS fictions do. Sakura may seem a bit OOC, but this AU Sakura has had a different upbringing than that of CCS Sakura. So please keep that in mind. Anyway, I'll give a basic summary.

Sakura Kinomoto is a very lonely girl who lives with her busy uncle. Her only comfort and companionship is found with the fantasy novels she so loves to read (Sounds like Naoko-chan, ne? Bear with me.). One night after she finishes reading one of her favorite fantasy books, she wanders outside and makes a fateful wish under the light of the full moon. There's a reason they tell you to be careful what you wish for...because it just might come true.

Sakura finds herself stranded in a place that only existed in her wildest imagination. A world of goblins, dark sorcerers, beasts, wolf men, elves, fairies, dragons, and much more. Together with her strange new companions and adversaries, Sakura must embark on a long and dangerous quest to find her way back home.

Read and please review if you would be so kind. I need some motivation to get back into writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura or any part of it. All rights to CLAMP.

**Shard of Emerelys**

Chapter One: The Girl With the Impossible Trait

Bright green eyes lit up in excitement as they traced rapidly over the page, drinking in every detail with relish. Her slim, feminine fingers quickly brushed the page back as her eyes darted to the top of the next. Her orbs, still alight with pleasure, repeated the same path over the fine print.

Sakura Kinomoto loved fantasy novels. She could never get enough of their creative worlds, interesting characters, and exciting adventures. Compared to her dull and gray-colored lifestyle, it was _heaven_.

The young auburn-haired woman sighed blissfully and placed the book on the miniature table beside her bed. She smiled up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. "That was such a good story," she said aloud. Sighing happily once more, she retrieved the text from where she'd placed it and held it firmly to her chest. How she wished she had a magnificent destiny to look forward to like the heroine of the book did. And a dashing prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. She giggled girlishly and laid back on the bed, holding the book high above her.

The smile slowly faded into a melancholy frown as she continued to stare at the elaborately colored and detailed front of the book._ 'Why can't my life be like that?' _she wondered dismally, envy for the fictional characters coursing through her veins. Shaking the depressing thoughts from her head, she sat up, put the novel back on her nightstand, and promptly left her room to make her way downstairs for a bite to eat.

She made a simple package of ramen for her evening meal, vaguely wondering how late her uncle Tetsuya would be out. She traced her eating utensil through the noodles, staring into their depths. Uncle Tet was always out and about. Sakura hadn't even the faintest idea what he was really doing, only that he said he had _work_ to do constantly. She lifted her head from her inner contemplation and glanced at the clock. It was already after ten and he hadn't even so much as called to tell her if he'd be out later than usual. And now that she thought about it, Sakura hadn't heard from him since last night.

'_I guess work must be rough for him_,' Sakura decided with a shrug, covering the portion of ramen still in the pot and moving it to the refrigerator for Uncle Tet to have later.

-------------

After cleaning the kitchen up and washing her dishes, Sakura walked outside for a breath of fresh air. The moon had risen quite high in the sky and there was still no sign of her uncle. She bit her lip in worry and rubbed at her bare arms, which had broken out in goosebumps from the frigid nightly breeze. A few moments passed in the silence of the evening and her eyes fell to the ground bitterly.

"I hate it here..." Sakura mumbled, kicking a stone from the front porch.

Her Uncle Tetsuya would tell her nothing about her parents or where she came from. She couldn't keep track of how many times she'd asked, but his reply was always the same.

_"I was a close friend of your father's, almost like a brother. He asked me to take care of you, Sakura. And I'm going to keep my promise to him."_

Had her family abandoned her? Had her father run off because he no longer wanted or could handle her as his own responsibility? And what about her mother?

"Why did you leave me behind?"

The young woman's words were absorbed into the darkness as a tear fell from her eye. She'd probably never know. And she was stuck here in a run-down town while her Uncle Tet focused on his job, with no one to talk to and nothing to comfort her. All she had were the books that she loved and a whole mountain of dreams that could never come true.

The clouds around the moon parted, letting the ball of light spill its glory down upon her. Sakura gazed upward with her shining green eyes, taking in the beauty of the full moon. '_A night like this should be shared with a loved one,' _she thought. The young lady wrapped her arms more securely around herself. She was here alone. There was no loved one here for her to laugh with or to share the gorgeous sight of the full moon on this cool evening.

Her wistful emerald eyes, brimming with unshed tears, locked with the image of the glowing sphere in the sky. "I wish I had an awesome destiny to fulfill."

The words had left her lips, no more than a mere whisper, but the wind suddenly picked up around her, rustling the treetops as her hair and clothes blew wildly around her form. And as quickly as it came, the mysterious gust of air vanished without a trace. Sakura blinked in confusion. _'Hoe? Coincidence?'_

The young woman laughed outright when she realized that for a split second she had thought maybe it was some sort of sign. How silly could she possibly get? She wiped a tear of mirth from her eye and sat down on the cold ground with a dismal sigh. She let her hopes get the best of her.

"There are no coincidences, Kinomoto-san. Everything happens for a reason."

Startled, Sakura leapt to her feet and whirled around. Bathed in the moonlight, a very pretty lady with long red hair gazed at her with tranquil and kind hazel eyes.

"Who-"

Sakura's question was cut off when the beautiful woman held a single slender and pale finger up to her lips, silencing her. A small smile then rested upon her pink lips as she began reciting something quietly to herself, never taking her mysterious gaze away from the person before her. The head of auburn hair cocked to the side, studying the newcomer, but not daring to interrupt. The robes the unknown lady was dressed in were exquisite and almost seemed to shimmer under the rays of the full moon. Who was this incredibly elegant woman? _'And what does she want with a nobody like me?' _Sakura wondered distantly, puzzled by the new arrival.

"Before I send you, Kinomoto-san, a word of caution for the future: Do be more careful what you wish for, ne?"

The woman's smile broadened and Sakura took a step back, horrified. "_Send me_? Send me _where_? What wish are you talking about?"

The smile never left her pretty face. "You have an awesome destiny lying in wait for you, Kinomoto-san. I wish you the best of luck."

The strange redhead produced a large golden bell with violet ribbons, ringing it twice, slowly and clearly. The beautiful sound reverberated and echoed around Sakura, completely overwhelming her senses. She panicked as the ground around her began to shake, shafts of brilliant white light erupting from the cracks in the earth, blinding her. "Wait!" Sakura cried desperately. "What destiny? Who are you? Where are you sending me? Answer me, please!"

The woman's face disappeared from behind the screen of bright light, but her words carried through clear as day. "Whatever happens, Kinomoto-san, you'll be alright. Always."

And then darkness overwhelmed the auburn-haired girl as she lost consciousness completely.

-------------

When Kinomoto Sakura finally came to her senses, she found herself face-down on the ground, her mouth burning with the acrid taste of sour grass. Spitting the disgusting taste from her mouth, she quickly raised herself from the prone position and brushed the dirt off the front of her shirt while gazing around apprehensively. _'Oh no! Did I fall asleep outside last night?'_

Getting to her feet, one of her eyebrows raised at the scenery she didn't recognize. Just how out of it had she been to wander to a place like _this_? And it was a strange sight. _Very_ strange. Not one of the trees towering around her looked familiar at all. She was sure the area she lived in didn't have any vegetation like this. How could such large purple fruits be growing on that tiny bush? Intrigued, Sakura approached a red-barked tree and rested her palm upon it. "Ouch!" she shrieked when pain shot through her index finger, and quickly retracted her hand.

The pain was forgotten in an instant as her eyes landed on the glowing figure that was shaking a tiny, pale green fist at her. The fuming miniature winged figure threw Sakura's bewildered and awed form one more disgusted look before shooting off into the treetops and out of sight.

Sakura's legs gave out beneath her body and she fell to her knees, eyes wide with both amazement and fear. She had read about such creatures in the fantasy novels she adored. _Fairies_. Tiny human-like figures with wings. Had she really just encountered one? A _real_ one?

Glancing at the small bleeding bite imprint on her finger, she shook her head rapidly. She must have been hallucinating. Fairies and like only existed in myth and fairytale. It must have just been some forest creature she had upset. She had only thought she'd seen a fairy because she _wanted_ to. Imagination could create illusions, couldn't it?

Satisfied with her own explanation, she closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. Wherever she had wandered to, it must have been quite far from her house. If her Uncle came back and she was missing, Sakura was certain he would be worried for her, not to mention probably angry. She had to hurry and get back before things got any more awkward and complicated than they already were.

Getting to her feet once more, she looked around, hoping to catch sight of something she may recognize. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort. Everything before her was different than anything she'd ever seen before. No recognizable paths (or _any_ visible paths, for that matter), no houses, no people, and only an abundance of weird plants and trees. Sakura felt her knees begin to shake. She was all alone here and she had no idea where she was or how to get home.

A gasp suddenly escaped her lips. Memories from the night before flew through her mind like wildfire. The wish under the full moon, the inexplicable gust of air, and the pretty nameless lady who had sent her away with the ringing of her beautiful bell.

_"You have an awesome destiny lying in wait for you, Kinomoto-san."_

"What destiny!?" Sakura suddenly cried out in panic. "Where am I? How do I get back home!?"

This time, not even a gust of wind answered her call. The strange forested area around her stayed still and quiet. Resolved that it would do no good to stand here and complain any longer, Sakura started off into the trees. If she could just find that red-haired woman again, then maybe she could ask her for a lift back home.

Sakura was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she heard something quickly approach her from behind, but before she could so much as move a muscle, she found herself face-down on the forest floor once more with something heavy pushing down against her from behind. She cringed and shut her eyes tightly as the animal or whatever it was lowered its head to hers, sniffing. And then, as quickly as it had attacked her, it backed away, a low growl issuing forth from its throat.

"Human," a gruff voice growled out dangerously.

Very slowly, Sakura turned around, her green eyes wide and full of fear. And what greeted her sight made her blink repeatedly, a shriek threatening to rise to her trembling lips.

A pair of bright, golden-amber eyes glared down upon her from above. The figure appeared to be a man, but two large canine ears the same color as his messy chocolate hair twitched from their perch on top of his head, a long tail of the same shade swished back and forth behind him, and his canine teeth were bared in warning.

The auburn-haired girl backed away from the wolf creature, languidly enough not to alarm it, she hoped. His intense eyes continued to watch her closely as she moved farther away, and likewise, Sakura didn't dare take her eyes off of him.

The tension in the air finally broke as it spoke again, taking a step toward her as it did so. "What are you doing here, _human_?"

Uh-oh. Had she been trespassing on his territory without realizing it? Sakura swallowed as he took another step in her direction, his growl increasing in volume.

In a bold and spontaneous gesture, she rose to her feet and turned her back on the wolf man, dashing off into the thick foliage. Her legs were pumping in panic, adrenaline coursing through her system, and her heart was pounding furiously against her ribcage. She could almost hear the heavy footfalls that were sure to follow her. Any second now...

Sakura stopped, gasping for breath between the shelter of two identical towering trees. Her eyes followed her frenzied path and she frowned in confusion. The wolf-man creature had not followed after her. A single optimistic thought surfaced. Perhaps he just wanted to ward her away from that area?

Still breathing heavily, the young honey-haired woman leaned against the tree behind her, releasing a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes.

**WHAM**

Sakura shrieked, her eyes fluttering open immediately from the force of the sudden weight that shook the tree. Two muscular arms boarded her escape on either side, and the all-too familiar amber eyes narrowed at her in barely contained fury.

"I asked you a _question_," he hissed in a low growl.

Kinomoto Sakura's lips worked awkwardly as she tried to formulate words, but failed miserably. All that came out of her mouth were incoherent sputters.

He leaned in closer, his hot breath upon her face as he stared her down, silently demanding for her answer. His brown hair rustled from the movement, falling to rest just slightly before his inhuman eyes. Had she not been in such a frightening predicament, Sakura might have thought the way his dark locks cascaded across his angry face was almost attractive in a way.

"I'm losing my patience," he said softly, the barely contained waves of anger evident from the fiery flashes of color within his eyes.

"I don't know!" Sakura blurted out, on the verge of tears.

"You _lie_." Another growl issued forth from his throat. "Your kind is completely aware that they are _not_ welcome here."

"I don't know anything!" Sakura pleaded, her limbs beginning to shake. "Whatever I've done to upset you, I'm sorry! I don't know where I am or how to get home."

"Well isn't that just too bad, you bloody disgusting excuse for a creature," he spat in a mocking baby tone. Then abruptly the voice became icy and merciless. "You can wish someone told you while you burn in _hell_."

The barricade to her left fell as his right hand quickly found its way to her delicate throat. Sakura swallowed hard as she felt the half-hand/half-paw close around her small neck and begin to clamp down. The fire raging in his eyes was unbelievable. She wondered distantly, even though she was about to be strangled, what had humans done to this creature to make him hate them so completely? Something had to have sparked the wolf-man's passion for this hatred. But _what_?

"Syaoran-sama, what in the name of the Great Dragon are you doing to that poor human girl?"

Immediately, the pressure across her throat disappeared and Sakura coughed violently, clutching at the top of her shirt as the one called "Syaoran" backed away from her to fix his eyes on the newcomer.

"Wei," the wolf-man, Syaoran, acknowledged with a simple nod.

Unlike the chestnut-haired creature, Wei appeared to have no human characteristics aside from the body build, upright position, and the fact that he was wearing clothes along with a thin pair of spectacles hanging on a chain. Sakura thought he must have been somewhat elderly, though it was hard to tell when his body was covered in gray fur. He was definitely more beast-like than Syaoran was. It was odd to see the glasses perched upon his long snout and the almost-regal way he stood before them.

"Syaoran-sama," Wei continued. "I was sent to search for you. The pack is ready for the evening meal."

"Very well," Syaoran grumbled, turning his attention back to the girl at the base of the tree. "Let me get rid of this..._thing_, and I'll be right along."

"Syaoran-sama!" Wei admonished sharply. "What would your_ mother _say to this behavior you've acquired?"

Sakura, avidly watching the conversation between the two as she caught her breath, noticed a flash of something akin to guilt or even _sadness_ cross the wolf-man's amber eyes. However, it only lasted for a split second before he lashed out angrily at the air before her, his fury returned.

"She's _trespassing_!"

Wei shook his head calmly with a sigh. "As much as I can't deny that she's definitely human, take a closer look, Syaoran-sama. Have you seen _anything_ like her before?"

The inhuman golden-amber of Syaoran's eyes studied her more closely and Sakura felt her cheeks flush from his close attention.

"I've never seen clothes like _those_," he admitted grudgingly. He was about to turn away and leave it at that, when something else caught his eye. Daring a closer look, the wolf-man stepped nearer to her once more. And his own eyes widened in surprise at a new revelation.

"Green," he near-whispered. "Her eyes are _green_."

Wei smiled. "Indeed, Syaoran-sama. Quite _unusual_, don't you think?"

How could he not have noticed it? He'd been so close to her already and he had failed to realize something so...so..._impossible_?

Sakura blinked quizzically, her eyes moving between the two creatures. "W-What's wrong with green eyes?" she stammered.

It was the beast man Wei who answered her, for Syaoran still seemed to be at a loss for words. "It's a well-known fact, Miss. Only the _Great Dragon _is rumored to have eyes of green. No human, no beast, no goblin, no creature of any kind in all the lands could share _that_ trait."

Sakura bit her lip in apprehension. How could she possibly explain that she came from another world? Would they even believe her? And what was this "Great Dragon" thing?

"I daresay you should be careful, Miss," Wei continued. "Eye contact with strangers could be a death sentence for you, I'm afraid. The legend is extremely well-known." He almost seemed to pity her with his kind, light gray eyes.

Kinomoto Sakura couldn't believe her luck. All because of that tiny little wish she made, she was stranded in some fairytale land, had been attacked by a wolf-man, and now had to be careful not to even look at anyone just because of her _eye color_. She felt like crying. She felt like hitting something. She felt like screaming. She wanted to go _home_.

"Well what are we supposed to do about that weird _thing_, Wei?" Syaoran questioned, turning to the elderly beast and pointing a clawed finger in Sakura's direction. "Wouldn't it be wise just to put her out of her misery? Something out there, human or not, will definitely slaughter her before nightfall."

"You may be partially right, Syaoran-sama," Wei nodded, his smile still directed at Sakura. "It's quite dangerous out here for the lady. I propose we take her back with us for the night."

Sakura blinked wordlessly as she stared at the beast's soft and fatherly features. Syaoran, however, stomped a foot roughly on the ground. "_What_? Are you _insane_, Wei?" he yelled. "She could be _cursed_ for all we know! You think the pack would even _dare_ accept this scrawny little thing in our midst for an _entire_ night?!"

Sakura frowned at what she was referred to as, but Wei seemed amused and his grin widened. "I think they would find her quite interesting," he said matter-of-factly.

Syaoran threw his arms up in exasperation. "_Absolutely not_! I _forbid_ it!"

The smile faded from the beast's tired face. "I cannot disobey a direct order from you, Syaoran-sama, but why don't you at least consider it? The girl has done nothing to you personally, has she?"

The wolf-man shot a glare at the auburn-haired maiden. "Her existence is crime enough," he stated coldly.

Sakura had finally had enough. She stood and bowed before Wei, offering just a small smile to the elderly wolf beast. "Thank you for your concern and kindness, Wei-san. I'll be on my way."

Without another word, she walked past the identical trees and out into the unknown. Wei gave Syaoran a disapproving glance, which the young wolf-man decided to ignore as he crossed his arms indifferently, his back purposefully turned away from the sound of the soft footsteps that slowly faded away.

----------

Syaoran and Wei enjoyed a hearty meal with their pack that night. Everything was normal. The pups were playing, the adults were talking animatedly, and moon watched dutifully from above.

The chocolate-haired wolf-man distantly wondered if the scrawny girl-thing was still alive. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt a very small stab of guilt in his conscience.

As though reading his mind, Wei rested a gray paw upon Syaoran's shoulder, causing the young wolfish man to lift his gaze from the forest floor. "I think you should find her, Syaoran-sama," he spoke softly.

Syaoran turned his head to the side arrogantly."Why would I do a thing like that?"

The paw gently squeezed his shoulder. "I know you..er, greatly dislike their kind, Syaoran-sama, but you can't blame what happened to you and your family on that girl. It's not her fault."

"But she's one of them!" Syaoran hissed through gritted teeth.

"Syaoran-sama, you can't continue to hate them all just for the actions of some. Do you really want to put yourself on that level?"

Syaoran's stared off into the dark trees, his amber eyes unreadable as he clutched the log he sat upon.

----------

"Ow..." Sakura whimpered as she tried to pull a thorn-like branch from it's snakish hold around her knee.

It was dark now and she could hardly see, save for a few moonlit areas beneath some patches of the treetops. Her right leg was entangled in some strange brush that had many sharp protrusions from its branches, and after at least twenty minutes of trying, she had failed to release the painful hold. Her pants were torn, her fingers were sore and cut from the prying, she was tired, and she was _still_ completely stranded in unfamiliar territory.

"Can this get _any_ worse?" Sakura asked no one in particular.

Wrong question to ask. As if on cue, rain started to fall, and quickly turned into a downpour. Sakura grimaced and shivered, wrapping her soaked arms around her soggy form and abandoning any further attempts to remove her leg for the time being. Cold and alone, she began to cry silently.

However, she wasn't left to herself for long. Her head snapped to attention as a branch nearby cracked and a dark shadow emerged from behind a tree. Upon closer inspection as it stepped into the moonlight, it looked very much like Wei did, only more bigger and more muscular, younger, wearing only a pair of animal-hide shorts, and appeared to have fur the color of midnight. His eerie yellow eyes found Sakura's fallen form in an instant and he sniffed the air.

"A human wandering _this_ far from Doburn Lokathell?" It was clearly amused as it made its way closer to her. Sakura raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name, but was unable to find her voice. Her frightened eyes remained transfixed as the black beast approached her.

"Aww, did I scare it?" He flashed a perfect row of canine teeth. "Little misses wandering off into the Civaruthlands at such a late hour. How careless. We should know better than that, shouldn't we?"

Sakura desperately tried to pull her leg free, but only managed to pull off a small branch of the prickly vine.

"Such a tiny little thing. You won't even serve as a decent meal." The large creature guffawed. "Nonetheless, I don't mind a light snack."

The midnight-colored beast reached out and snatched Sakura's arm in a vice grip, causing her to shriek. Before she even registered what she was doing, Sakura's other hand grabbed a hold of the branch she'd broken off and swiftly snapped it, like a whip, against the beast's face. It released her arm in an instant, howling in agony as it ripped at the thorns in a wild frenzy.

Seeing as her attacker was preoccupied for the time being, Sakura desperately tried to dislodge her leg from the thorny prison once more, kicking frantically and holding back the tears of pain that welled up in her emerald eyes, but her leg just _wouldn't_ come free.

"You _vile_ little_ creature_!" the beast roared, throwing the remains of the branch away from his bleeding muzzle. "You're going to regret that _dearly_ when I tear your head right off of your tiny shoulders!"

Sakura flinched in anticipation of her incoming death as the black wolf beast dove for her, teeth and claws bared, a menacing snarl of fury erupting from its throat. She braced herself and held her breath.

"**Back off**."

Something large thudded on the ground near her and Sakura tentatively opened one eye. A gasp left her lips as she saw the dark beast lying face-down on the ground a few yards away from her and a familiar half-wolf man bent in a battle-ready pose, his amber eyes trained on the prone muscular figure. The beast struggled back to his feet, his ears flattening back as he faced the new arrival. "I found her first, _halfling_," he growled in warning.

"Actually, you didn't," Syaoran smirked, amused. "But that's beside the point." His intense sunset-colored eyes narrowed. "Get the hell out of here."

The black wolf roared again, launching himself at Syaoran. Expertly dodging the raging creature, Syaoran sidestepped him and brought his elbow roughly down upon the beast's back as it passed him, effectively knocking the air out of it as it fell to the muddy ground, eyes bulging. The half-wolf pressed a foot down on the beast's back. "This is your last chance to get out of here, before I decide to _really_ hurt you," he warned softly. "Go back to your pack."

Wheezing in pain, the black wolf sluggishly got to its feet. "Consider yourself marked by this pack, halfling. And..." The yellow eyes trailed back to Sakura. "If I ever see that treacherous little female thing again, she's going to pay for damaging my _perfect_ face."

Syaoran raised a curious eyebrow at the beast's bloody features and side-glanced at the helpless girl. He had to admit, she had to have had a little guts in her somewhere to take on something that large.

The wolf beast got down on all fours and bounded away from them, disappearing into the darkness a few moments later.

Sakura sat completely still, awestruck by the chocolate-haired savior. The hateful wolf-man had returned and _rescued_ her? What a strange turn of events this was. "Ano..ah...um...Thank you." Sakura sputtered nervously.

"I didn't save you, so don't get any weird ideas in your head," Syaoran stated, not meeting her strange green eyes. "I have a strong dislike for that pack."

'_That makes sense_,' Sakura decided. She was a little disappointed by the news, but what did she expect? He couldn't have let go of his hatred for her in such a short time.

Silence hung in the moist evening air between them. The rain had stopped falling, but the winds picked up, causing Sakura to shudder violently. Syaoran released a noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl. "Get up, you scrawny thing. Wei demanded I take you back." It was a lie, but it's not as if he was going to tell her the truth. She'd get more of those strange ideas in her head.

Sakura bit her lip, tugging lightly at her bleeding leg. Embarrassment and pain made her cheeks turn red. "I'm a little stuck at the moment," she said softly.

The wolf-man's eyes traveled to the bush where her leg caught deep within. "You damn idiot," he grumbled, marching over and kneeling next to her. He pried and crushed the branches away with ease, allowing her to finally free her trapped limb.

"Thank you," she said again, slowly pulling her leg out.

"Stop thanking me. This isn't for you, dammit," he ground out fiercely. "Wei would just be unhappy to see me come back empty-handed. Now let's go."

He gracefully rose to his feet, the tail from behind him just barely brushing her arm from the change in position. Likewise, Sakura attempted to lift herself up, wincing from the throbbing of her leg as she did so. Once on her feet, she felt a wild rush of blood flow to her head and fell backward from the dizziness, landing with a soft thump on the wet grass.

Syaoran's ears twitched from the sound and he turned around, surprised to find the girl sprawled out on the forest floor. "Oi, thing," he called, then sighed in exasperation and annoyance when she didn't reply. "Stop fooling around and get up, you klutz."

Sakura's form didn't move an inch and he felt something funny well up inside him. Was it worry? Shaking his head mentally, he approached her side and stared down at her lithe form. He eyed her bloody leg injury, soaked clothes, and the color in her face. "Fainted," he realized, then growled in irritation. "Just my freakin' luck."

He had two options. One, he could leave her here to die and make the whole trip out in the first place a complete waste of time. Two, he could swallow his pride for a little while and carry it back to the pack's territory.

Cringing in disgust, Syaoran picked up the human girl's scrawny unconscious figure and draped it over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. And without wasting another second, he dashed off into the trees, eager to rid himself of the filth as soon as possible.

....To be continued?

That's it for now. If all goes well, I may continue this story. If there's no interest, however, there would be no point in doing so. So drop me a line or two in a review if you have any feedback on it. I'd really appreciate it. I don't even care if it's a flame. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Sorry that Syaoran is such an asshole right now, but he has his reasons. You'll find out about them later if I continue the story. As well as quite a few other twists and the appearance of many more characters. Ah, fantasy is grand.

I really do like this story and what I have planned for it, though...I'd hate to have to scrap it. So I'd really, _really_ appreciate it if you could spare the time for a review.

Thanks.

- Manda-chan


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